According to the director of the code compliance department Brandon Bennett, the officer was taking pictures of a house in the 3200 block of Ross Ave.

Two residents in the house next door, 17-year-old Kathy Guerrero and her sister Angela, came out and started arguing with the officer and eventually assaulted her. Bennett says the officer who's been with the city for 17 years, pulled a pocket knife out and cut Guerrero on the arm in self defense.

Guerrero was taken to the hospital and then arrested and charged with assault of a public servant. Her sister also faces the same charge.

Bennett said self defense is part of a code compliance officer's training.

"Every now and then unfortunately there's a situation where they cannot effectively extract themself and for their own safety they're then taught to fight back," he said.

Kathy Guerrero spoke to Fox 4 over the phone. She says the officer was argumentative from the start and would not stop sticking a camera in her face. She says when she pushed the camera away, the officer pushed back and the fight began.